ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Lakeland University baseball team was unable to come up with enough clutch hits and dropped both ends of a doubleheader against Rockford University Tuesday afternoon.
The Muskies fell to the Regents 7-1 in the first game and then dropped a 9-3 decision in the nightcap of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference twinbill. Lakeland fell to 11-22 overall and 3-13 in conference play, and with the second loss was officially eliminated from contention for a spot in the six-team NACC Tournament.
The Muskies mustered just the four runs over the two games but had chances for much more. Lakeland stranded at least one runner in 13 innings, more than two-thirds of its at bats on the afternoon.
The Regents (17-18 overall, 7-9 NACC) kept the pressure on in both games, racking up 16 hits in the first game and 14 in the second. The hosts also got an overpowering pitching performance in the opener from David Camacho, who threw a complete game and struck out 11, allowing only an RBI single by
Jody Harrison (
So.-Pontiac, Mich.) in the second inning to briefly tie the game at 1-1.
Lakeland did hang around in the second game, including taking a 2-1 lead in the second inning.
Bryan Bridges (
So.-North Chicago, Ill.) doubled, with Harrison going to third and then scoring on an error on the play.
Dayton Zettelmeier (
Fr.-Evansville, Wis.) later stole second, and the throw went into center field, allowing Bridges to score.
The Muskies then tied it in the fifth when Harrison singled through the left side to score
Connor Hilburn (
So.-Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), but Rockford took control with a big sixth inning. The Regents scored four times, with Jose Miranda's three-run home run the big blow, and Lakeland never got closer the rest of the way.
Bridges and
Travis Regalado (
So.-Willcox, Ariz.) both had three hits on the day to lead the Muskies at the plate. Hilburn took the loss in the first game, allowing 12 hits and five runs with four strikeouts in six innings, while
Christopher Leopold (
Jr.-Bolingbrook, Ill.) received the loss in relief in the second game after allowing all four runs in the sixth inning.
Lakeland concludes its season with two more home dates, including a doubleheader against Dominican (Ill.) University Friday at 1 p.m.
